Meeting may have been big on savings, but few attended

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Lucille Heil, F.A.I.R. Coalition participant, www.fair-brmemc.org

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I previously wrote an opinion letter to Clay County Progress regarding the annual membership meeting. I expressed that the meeting was held at 3 p.m. on a Thursday, which did not allow a significant part of the Blue Ridge Mountain EMC members to attend; those who work and those with families (children to be picked up from school). I also passed on that Jeremy Nelms, the general manager for BRMEMC, made a statement that employee overtime pay was a significant part of the decision to hold the annual meeting at 3 p.m. on a Thursday. At the Oct. 22 board of directors meeting, Nelms gave a report on the cost of the annual meeting.

 The cost associated with holding the meeting was $56,267. According to an article in the Towns County Herald the meeting expenses were $23,000 under the allocated budget. In addition, this was said to be a $13,000 savings in overtime expenses since the meeting was during business hours, denying a large percentage of members from attending. No overtime was paid.

Doing the math with these numbers — the actual cost of the meeting was $56,267 which was $23,000 under budget. If overtime had been paid, (the primary reason for holding the meeting at 3 p.m.on a Thursday), to hold the meeting on a Saturday, in the amount of $13,000 as reported by the Towns County Herald, then BRMEMC would still have come in under budget by $10,000.

BRMEMC management would have been able to hold the meeting on the second Saturday in September as the bylaws state and still be $10,000 under the allocated budget for this meeting.

I requested a breakdown of the $56,267 spent, but the request went unanswered by Nelms.

The question that remains: Where was that exorbitant amount of money spent with no entertainment, no overtime pay, no venue costs and considerably less in door prizes?

Only 61 people showed up. Eleven of those folks (20 percent) were members of the new group called F.A.I.R.. which stands for Families Against Inequitable Rates. F.A.I.R. is speaking up, giving the power to be heard to you — the members of BRMEMC.

The letter sent to Nelms addressing these concerns about the annual meeting was not responded to.

The annual meeting was a failure with only 61 folks in attendance compared to about 300 in previous years. That is a 70 percent reduction in attendance compared to previous years. Nelms simply stated at the board of directors meeting on Oct. 22 that attendance has been decreasing over the years and maybe next year they need to hire entertainment and give away more door prizes rather than considering moving the meeting back to the second Saturday in September as the by-laws state.

I do not know who is benefiting from these decisions, but it certainly is not you and me.

I hope this is helpful.